This blog is closed to new posts due to inactivity. The post remains here as part of the network’s archive of useful research information. We hope you'll join the conversation by posting to an open topic or starting a new one.
 
 
The ACT consortium has released free guidance and tools to help researchers of all roles to design, run and analyse qualitative research.
Qualitative research is being used more frequently in international health research, either as a stand alone method of analysis or in mixed-methods research, but may not always be well understood because many researchers come from quantitative research backgrounds. The ACT's new guidance aims to help bridge this gap by providing free, flexible tools and accessible guidance. 
Dr Clare Chandler, the lead author of the guidance documents and lead social scientist at the ACT Consortium, explains that they have aimed to create 'social science work [which can be] easily understood and easy to relate to our colleagues' work. Our projects are also in multiple countries. This meant that for our social science research activities need to be good quality, we had to develop methods for standardizing and monitoring approaches to fieldwork and analysis, while allowing for flexibility in the details'. 
The guidance provides a full explanation of different types of qualitative fieldwork methods such as in-depth interviews, focus groups and direct observations, as well as how a project should be set up and run, including drafting a protocol and creating a project team. Users will also be shown how to code, analyse, interpret and then present their resulting data.
You can access this guidance, including template protocols, SOPs and training materials, at http://www.actconsortium.org/resources.php/72/qualitative-methods-for-international-health-intervention-research. 
Global Health Trials is in contact with the authors of this paper, so if you have any questions or comments about the guidance please place them here. We also hope to have a social science 'ask the expert' month coming soon.